


Magic Fingers

by elletromil



Series: Leaves of a Tree [15]
Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Civilians, Fluff, Getting Together, Humor, M/M, Meet-Cute, Pre-Relationship, i am turning this into a proper fic, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-27
Updated: 2017-09-11
Packaged: 2018-11-05 17:20:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11017983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elletromil/pseuds/elletromil
Summary: Eggsy works in a spa and his next client is simply too hot for him to deal with.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for virgosista on tumblr after she sent me this cute prompt :D
> 
>  
> 
> _Harry gets an gentleman’s facial at a new spa. Eggsy is his facialist and even if he is incredibly well trained he still is nervous over his new handsome client Harry._

“Roxyyyyyyyyyyy!”

The longer Eggsy says her name is usually a good indication to just how bad whatever situation he’s in is. This is the longest he’s ever gone though and she’s afraid to find out what has him in such a panic. Even when she had to bail him out of jail a couple of years ago, he hadn’t sound any way like he just did.

“What is it?”

“You have to take my next client, please!”

She has not seen the man yet, but if Eggsy is asking her that and throwing in the puppy eyes, there must be something really awful about him. Eggsy is usually the one who takes all the bad clients and does it with a _smile_.

“What is it? Did he use to buy drugs from you or something?”

“No! That’s not it…” He keeps looking over where the massage rooms are, where Mr Hart is currently getting one before his scheduled facial. “I just.. I can’t do it Rox! He’s too hot!”

For a moment, she simply stares at him with a blank expression before she punches him on the shoulder. Hard.

“You are such a _dick_! I was actually worried you fuckwit!” She has a few more insults for him until she realises how stressed Eggsy _really_ is. “Eggsy? What aren’t you telling me?”

He would probably prefer having his teeth pulled, but he ends up answering her anyway, even if he looks anywhere but at her.

“I might have been the one to recommend he came here? And I might have exaggerated how good I am? And I know I’ll fuck it up and Harry won’t talk to me again… Or worse, he’ll keep talking to me, but just because he’s a gentleman and too polite to tell me to fuck off and-”

“Wait, wait, wait! Back it up. ‘Harry’ as in the Harry from the cafe you’ve been pining over for weeks?”

“Yes?”

If he looked panicky before, now he looks seconds away from digging a hole into the ground and burying himself alive.

“Unwin, I know you. If anything, you’ve _downplayed_  your skills. And if he wasn’t interested, he wouldn’t have _requested_  you. So put on your big girls panties and seduce him with your magic fingers.”

“But-”

“No ‘buts’! You got this! He won’t even remember he got a massage before you gave him his facial. Heck, if he doesn’t ask you out for dinner by the end of it, there’s something wrong with _him_!”

It’s obvious Eggsy wants to say something in protest but that’s when Amelia gets back to the front desk to tell him that Mr Hart is ready for him.

The poor girl doesn’t understand why Roxy snickers at her choice of words or why Eggsy groans, but at least he’s not trying to flee.

It’s not like she would have let him anyway.

She’s getting rather tired of the pining.


	2. Chapter 2

It is a complete coincidence that Roxy is still at the front desk when Mr Hart comes out to pay. The only reason she’s so sure that it is him while having never seen him before is only because she knows all the other clients that are around today. That and she has to admit Eggsy was right.

The man  _is_  very handsome.

However, he seems to have none of the confidence she had expected him to possess from everything Eggsy had been telling her for weeks now.

Not that he looks shy exactly as he walks up to the counter to pay, but rather sad and resigned.

What the  _hell_  happened in that room?

“I am terribly sorry to bother you with this, but could you be so kind and tell Eggsy that I am sorry to have put him in such an awkward position. I have no excuses for my behavior, just assurances that it won’t happen again and that I won’t be bothering him again. I can just hope I didn’t cause him too much distress.”

The only reason she gets away with staring blankly at the gentleman (in that suit, there is no way she can think of him as anything else) and doesn’t feel rude about it is because he is looking at anything but her.

“What?” She is usually far more eloquent than this, but Mr Hart is clearly becoming more and more nervous as she went without saying anything and she is still not sure what happened. Is she supposed to be mad at Harry or Eggsy right now?

The question makes Mr Hart look even more flustered if that was possible, but strangely enough, it’s also what makes him looks up to meet Roxy’s gaze for the first time.

She doesn’t know what he makes of her expression, but he nods at her like a man condemned before starting to explain.

“I know it wasn’t appropriate at all for me to ask him to dinner while he is working and I don’t kn-” He trails off before shaking his head. “No, I know exactly what made me forget myself and ask him out, but my feelings for him doesn’t entitle me to anything. I am sorry that he felt he had to flee the room, but I don’t blame him. Just tell him I am sorry to have misread the situation so completely and that he won’t have to worry about seeing me again, even at the cafe.”

The silence while she processes what Mr Hart is telling her must be getting to long for his comfort because he honest to god starts shuffling on his feet, like a schoolboy meeting the principal over a prank gone wrong.

“Of course, if there are any consequences to my harassment, I am not trying to escape them, all the contact information you need should be on file. I-”

As soon as she raises her hand, palm up, he stops talking and she feels kind of bad at the way he gulps, but it’s clear she has more urgent matter right now.

“Could you just please wait here for a moment sir?”

She’s never seen one, but she feels like this is what a man walking up to get executed would look like.

“It’s not, it’s not  _bad_ , just wait here.”

Her words don’t seem to reassure him, but her priority is to find Eggsy and shake some sense into his dumb head.

She doesn’t think Mr Hart would try to leave, he seems far too honorable for that, but she still stops Amelia in the corridor and asks her to make sure no one makes him pay and that he stays put. Who knows how long it will take her to convince Eggsy to get out of his hiding hole.

It takes a couple of minutes, but she finally finds him in a supply closet, hugging one of the very large and very soft towels to his chest.

He doesn’t seem to be having a panic attack, simply in need of some comfort and she takes a few calming breaths before going to sit down at his sides. She might want nothing more but to grab him by the shoulders and shake him until he starts being sensible again, but she knows it won’t actually help either Eggsy or the poor Mr Hart.

“So mind telling me why you’ve just broken the heart of the bloke you’ve not shut up about since you first saw him?”

She nudges him gently with her elbow, but that only makes him curl up tighter around the towel.

“I’m such an idiot.”

There is a long silence, where she waits for him to expand on it, but it soon becomes clear that he’s not going to open up yet.

“I hope you’re not waiting on me to deny it, because you’ll be waiting a long time.”

“What? No, I wasn’t- I  _am_  an idiot.” He’s looking at her now and she would call it an improvement if only he wasn’t looking so much like a broken man. “I don’t know why I was thinking I could have something good…”

His words make her fear that maybe Mr Hart hasn’t been entirely honest with her, that more has transpired in that room then simply the gentleman asking Eggsy out for dinner and Eggsy fleeing the room, something far more “inappropriate” and if it is the case she will go back at the front and  _gut_  him with her bare hands.

Before she can do more than think it though, Eggsy continues and prevent her from maiming a man on a misunderstanding.

“The fantasy was nice, but really once we go to dinner, he’ll see I’m just a pretty face. Maybe good enough for a quick roll between the sheets, but that’s not what I want…”

He trails off before hiding his head again and the desire to shake him comes back even stronger.

“So wait let me get this straight. The man you have been talking with for  _months_ , and when I say talking, I do mean talking, the kind where he knows all about your obsession about musicals and where you know he’s got a dead dog in his loo,” she stops there for a moment, because she is still waiting for Eggsy to agree with her that the dog thing is fucking weird. But, he must still simply think it a cute gesture of a man who loved his canine companion very much even in death because he doesn’t say anything. “Anyway, that man you’ve nearly spend more time with than you did with me lately, for the first time you make a move so that the two of you would see each other somewhere else than that cafe. And not anywhere, but at your workplace. And the man comes, is clearly interested in you more than your sweet arse and when he invites you for dinner, you flee the room because you don’t want to be another notch on his bedpost? That’s what happened, right?”

“Yes- No- I… Roxy, I’m a sham, a fuckup, maybe he thinks he likes me, but once we’re on a date he’ll see me for who I really am and he won’t want anything to do with me. It’s better if I- Hey! Give that back!”

Instead of giving him back the towel she just wrenched away she throws it the other side of the room and puts her hands on Eggsy’s cheeks to force him to look at her.

“Gary Unwin, you are  _not_  a fuckup, nor are you a sham. Sure you had rough time, but when your mum got pregnant after your stepdad got sent to prison you turned your life around to provide for her and the baby instead of washing your hands off of both of them. You’ve got a steady job, you’re actually saving up now that you’ve paid your debts and your sister probably thinks you’ve hung the moon. Heck you probably would have if it wasn’t already up there if it meant she would smile. You’re sweet, you’re funny, you’re responsible and reliable. You might not have told him  _everything_ , but you haven’t been leading him on and you haven’t lied to him either. Sure either of you might realise it’s not doing it for you down the line, but that’s what dating is all about.”

Eggsy seems far calmer now, but it’s plain to her that he’s still not back to his confident self. His next words only confirm it.

“But I’ve never dated before… Not seriously.”

“Then tell him that. Seriously Eggsy, the man seemed more worried about  _you_  than anything else. If you weren’t interested, it wouldn’t matter but you are and he makes you happier than I’ve seen you in  _years_.” Whenever he is back from one of his coffee non-date, he has the look she has titled the “Cloud Harry Look”. That he’s never complained about her teasing is enough to tell her he’s got more than just a simple crush on the man. “You deserve to be happy. And I might not know about Harry, but he deserves at least a chance.”

Eggsy closes his eyes, but he’s not trying to escape her this time, instead he leans closer until their foreheads are pressed together.

“You really think so?” She forgets sometimes how young he still is, that for all his bravado, he’s got his own insecurities. That sometimes, he needs to borrow others’ strengths too.

She forgets, but whenever she’s reminded, she’ll gladly lend him some of hers.

“I really do.” She breaks their hold, but just so she can press a kiss against his forehead. “Now go put that man out of his misery and enjoy a nice dinner, yeah?”

There is a new resolve shining in his eyes and he even manages a small smile before he gets up and help her to her feet.

She follows him out of the supply closet, but she lets him dash off alone to the front desk after he’s given her a quick hug.

She’s done whatever she could for him now. It’s his turn to work for his happiness.


	3. Chapter 3

“Merlin, I need a favour.”

Merlin sighs and consider just hanging up on Harry, but the thing is, after decades knowing the man, he’s developed some kind of Stockholm syndrome.

“If you need me to bail you out, _again_ , you’ll have to wait until the restaurant closes up. Tonight’s the busiest night of the week.”

“Shit. Shit, shit, shit,  _fuck_.”

Now, on any other day, the cursing wouldn’t have worried him, but the fact that Harry hasn’t immediately launched into his usual protest that he had only needed bail ‘ _that one time, let it go already_ ’ makes him tense up.

Whatever it is, the situation must be dire if Harry isn’t up for some good-natured teasing.

“Harry? What’s wrong?”

“What-? No, no, nothing’s wrong. I forgot what day it was, it’s all. Nevermind, I will make other arrangements and-”

“Harry.” He doesn’t do it that often, but he’s one of the very few who can interrupt Harry mid-rambling and keep him silent. Today, he’s happy to be able to do that. “Tell me what’s happening.”

“I- I- Did I ever mentioned Eggsy to you?”

“Only a million times, but I fail to see what your crush has anything to do with you calling me.”

He might have never met the lad, but he is pretty sure he must have fallen prey to the Hart Charm if he keeps showing up at the Cafe at the same times and spend hours there with Harry. Unfortunately, Harry is equally sure that Eggsy only desires friendship from him and Merlin is the one who has to deal with the endless pining.

“I’ve asked him out for dinner.” It doesn’t happen a lot, but sometimes, Harry actually manages to shock him into silence. “Tonight. And I wanted to bring him to your restaurant, but it’s obviously not a good time and-”

Luckily, Merlin goes back to his senses before Harry can talk himself out of the date.

“And nothing. I told you that you would always have a table here and I certainly won’t go back on my word now. So you better be bringing your scrawny arse here at seven sharp or so help me god, I’ll find a way to lock you up in a closet with that lad of yours.”

And before Harry can protest, Merlin hangs up and walks into the kitchens.

“You! Find me Percival and you! I don’t know what you are doing to that chicken but you better stop now!” He would feel bad about snapping, but really, all of his staff is more than used to his bark by now, especially when something apparently warrants him being at the stoves for the evening.

“Who’s coming?” It’s the first thing Percival asks him when he sees him frantically choosing the best selection of ingredients, an apron already wrap around his waist. “The Queen?”

“God, I wish. Harry-”

“With the Queen?”

“-and his lad.”

Percival blinks at him for a moment before cursing a blue streak.

“Exactly. I know I told you that you would never have to wait at a table ever again but-”

Percival holds up a hand and Merlin cuts himself off before even being told to shut up. He sees no point in infuriating his partner more than necessary.

“Please, as if I would trust anyone else with that. Tonight is going to be perfect even if I have to sell my first born to the devil for it.”

“You’ve never wanted kid darling.” Why he thinks it’s a good idea to remind him now, he doesn’t know, except maybe that he doesn’t want to tempt the fates at the moment.

“I know. But I’ll bloody  _carry one myself_  if it makes Harry stops pining like an idiot.”

It could seem extreme, but Merlin kind of wholeheartedly agrees with the sentiment.

Harry’s pining is  _really_ getting old.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here it is, the end of Magic Fingers :)

Slaving in the kitchen as he is, Merlin doesn’t really know how Harry’s date is going, but judging by Percival’s little smile every time he comes in to pick up the plates, it can’t be going too badly. Not that he has really been worried since the lad has accepted a date after months of getting to know Harry. He obviously wants to take their friendship a step further as much as Harry does.

He is willing to bet the date is going to end with at least a kiss and maybe more if Eggsy can convince Harry to drop the gentleman act.

He’s just putting in the lava cake into the oven when Harry burst into the room, looking at the cabinets as if he’s seriously thinking about climbing into one and never coming out.

“What are you doing in my kitchen?” He shakes his head at Gazelle who is closing in on Harry. Sure he hates anyone that isn’t a cook or a waiter stepping in here, but judging by Harry’s look of panic, it’s a better idea to deal with whatever issue he is having than let Gazelle kick him out through the back door. Anyway, busy as they currently are, he cannot really afford to let his best cook deal with the trash.

“Hiding,” he’s eying up the large sink now and Merlin barely resist the temptation to push him into the soapy water.

“Why?”

“Because I am fucking everything up?” He waves his arms around wildly, nearly slapping Gazelle in the face and Merlin moves him into an empty spot of the kitchen before she can stab him not so accidently. Not that he would blame her, but blood really was a bitch to clean out and one never knew when inspectors were around.

“What did you do?” He was actually surprised that he could have done something bad enough to ruin the date. Merlin would never admit it out loud, even under torture, but Harry extremely charming when he wanted to be. And right now, on a date with the lad that had him bewitched for months, the charm had to be turned up to its highest level. “You couldn’t have done anything too terrible since Percival isn’t in here now, hitting you with a pan.”

He hears Gazelle sniggers and catches something that sounds like ‘ _ if only_’, but since Harry doesn’t seem to notice, he decides to let it slide.

Not that he would really have done anything. Harry is a big boy, he could totally fight his own battles alone.

Though Merlin is starting to have some doubts now that he can see how poorly Harry is dealing with actually going after his own happiness. 

“I haven’t done anything, in fact it’s going nicely and-”

“So why are you freaking out? I mean, I might be wrong, but that’s usually what someone hopes for in a good date.” At Harry’s blank look, Merlin sighs and specifies, “for things to go nicely.”

“But that’s the problem! It doesn’t feel like a date! Except for the change of venue, it feels exactly like it does when we are having coffee together…” He trails off, looking lost and heartbroken but it just makes the urge to drown him into the sink stronger.

It’s with relief that he sees Percival enter the kitchen, his frown making it obvious that he heard the last of Harry’s little freakout. He should feel bad pushing the bag of issues Harry currently is on his husband, but he’s got lava cakes to worry about right now.

“Harry, you are the dumbest man alive.”

“What? What did I do now?” Even if it’s Percival that has just insulted him, Harry is still looking at him. It’s a golden opportunity to get on his case, but it’s unfortunately one he’ll have to pass up.

“Darling, please tell Harry why he is being a complete idiot, I can’t deal with him right now.”

Percival eyes light up like it’s Christmas and he actually takes a deep breath before launching into it.

“It feels the same, you dumbass, because they were dates too. You might not have acknowledge them as such, but dear gods Harry, you have been more or less dating the boy for months now. It’s time you fucking own up to it. It’s a bloody miracle Eggsy hasn’t lost all interest already. So now that this has been cleared up, you’re going to go back to your table, have fun together until one of you crack and fucking kiss already because everyone is bloody tired of you mooning.”

Gazelle actually lets out a little ‘ _woot_ ’ at the end of Percival’s little tirade and Merlin has to roll his eyes in exasperation when Harry shot her a look of utter betrayal. Sure they’re on friendly terms, but Harry  _ is _ disrupting the whole kitchen right now. Gazelle is too much of a serious worker not to find it annoying. He should count himself lucky she is also too much of a professional not to have got on his case too.

But Percival’s words clearly made an impression, because soon enough, Harry strides out of the kitchen, his confidence restored.

For once, Merlin breaks his rule of no public displays of affection in the kitchen and he leans closer to Percival to brush a light kiss against his cheek.

“My hero.”

It escapes him before he can stop it, but his slight embarrassment is well-worth the hilarious picture that Percival makes as he walks out after Harry, two plate of lava cakes in hands, looking more smug than any man should be allowed to.

*

“Fuck me, that’s so good!” Percival isn’t usually in speaking range after putting the plates down, but people usually don’t take the first bite while he still hasn’t properly let go of said plates. From anyone else, it would have earned them a dark look for their lack of manners, but there is something so genuine in all of Eggsy’s actions that Percival is willing to let it slide this time. It helps that even Harry, Mr Perfect Gentleman himself, is just looking fondly at his companion for the night. Though his expression changes slightly when Eggsy continues what Percival chooses to take as high praise for Merlin skills. “Can I marry the cook?”

“Too late, he’s already taken.” He’s not one for bragging, but he waggles his ring finger, making Eggsy snort with amusement, even if he does his best to look mock-disappointed. “But for some reason, Harry here is still his best friend and he might deny it, but Merlin is a big softie. If you continue to go out with him, his spoiling of Harry will spill over you.”

At the tease, all traces of amusement leave Eggsy’s face, making it clear that this was the wrong thing to say.

“I’m not- I’m not going out with Harry to get stuff or favors or-”

“Eggsy,” he interrupts him gently, before he can work himself in a worse state or before Harry can jump in his defense. “please forgive me. It really wasn’t what I was implying.” It had been meant as a jab at Merlin and Harry’s relationship far more than it had been about Eggsy. “If you had not been genuine in your affection, you would already have left the restaurant crying.”

For some reason, the belated threat seems to reassure Eggsy greatly, even if it’s Harry’s turn to take offense at his words.

“Percy…”

“No Harry. Loathe as I am to admit it, you’re my friend. I would never let get hurt if I can prevent it.”

Sure, people might doubt their friendship if they were simply to listen to him talk to Harry, but that’s because the man is an overbearing drama queen if he’s let to his own devices. He needs people to take him down a notch or ten, and it’s a task Percival delights in doing.

But no matter his faults, Harry is also a great friends. They might not share the same bond as the one between him and Merlin, but he’s still family.

And Percival would do anything to protect his family.

Even from themselves.

“And the fact you are my friend is also the reason I will tell you this. Stop trying to sabotage yourself, you fucking nitwit, and make sure Eggsy knows how much you are enjoying your time together tonight so that he knows you want another date.”

He leaves then, because he’s already lingered too long at the table, but he just goes far enough that he’s not disrupting any of the other clients’ dinner but can still see what is happening at Harry’s table.

It seems like Harry has decided not to be difficult for once, because he’s holding Eggsy’s hand between is and whatever he is saying is making the boy positively  _ beam_.

Still he lingers a while, right until Harry lifts Eggsy’s hand to his mouth to press a light kiss against his knuckles and even from where he stands Percival can see that both of their cheeks are flushed with pleasure.

He smiles then, nodding at no one in particular before going back to the kitchen.

They’ve definitely got it from here.


End file.
